Conventionally, copper was used as a transfer material to ensure the transfer of an electrical current inside a circuit breaker. Copper has a desirably low resistivity for use in circuit breakers and other electrical equipment. The low resistivity of copper enables it to conduct large electrical currents with relatively low heat losses. However, copper is a dense and expensive metal which, in turn, makes circuit breakers that include copper as a transfer material heavy and expensive.
A well-known alternative to copper for conducting electrical currents is aluminum. Aluminum is less expensive than copper, but more electrically resistive than copper. In order to achieve the same or similarly low resistance of a transfer material made of copper, transfer material made of aluminum requires approximately 30% more aluminum to conduct the same amount of current as a given amount of copper. Because aluminum is less dense than copper, substituting aluminum for copper requires more physical space to achieve the same resistance. Methods and apparatus that reduce the weight and cost of circuit breakers are desirable.